Page 125 of Ashes

“No! Angel! Fuck! NO!” I punched one of the wards in the face and was going to tear the head off the other one when a needle was jammed into my neck, dropping me to my knees as my chest heaved with every ragged breath I tried to drag in.

It looked like the same thing had been done to Asylum because he was sagging forward, breathing hard.

“Don’t do this to her.” I sobbed as she slumped over, finally going still. “Please. Don’t.”

My pleas fell on deaf ears because Sully hit the button again, and she shook once more. Helplessly, I watched as her fingers twisted and her body quaked violently. As her mouth foamed a little and her eyes rolled back.

Fuck. No. They were going to kill her.

Not my angel. Please, not my angel.

“What do you want? What do you want me to do?” I wept. “Please! I’ll do anything. Just stop. Don’t hurt her!”

Sully turned off the machine, and Sirena quaked in her seat, clearly having a seizure. If Sully cared, he made no show of it as he approached me. Asylum was quiet, but he was focused on Sirena. His lips were moving but his words were so soft I couldn’t hear him.

Sully squatted in front of me. “Give me what I want, and I’ll stop. You’ll all be free.”

I let out a shuddering breath. “What do you want?”

Sully offered me a sinister smile as he got to his feet. My body felt like lead as I tried to keep my head up. This wasn’t the typical drug they’d been giving me. This was something to slow me down. Weaken my body. I felt like I could sleep forever if given the chance.

Sully stood and backed away from me.

Sirena finally stilled in her seat. Two nurses came in and cleaned her, blocking my view of her. Several minutes passed in silence before the nurses left and Sully spoke again.

“Malachi, would you be so kind as to undress Miss Lawrence?” Sully stepped back so I could see her in her chair, her head hanging forward and her face covered by a curtain of dark hair.

I wasn’t even sure if she were conscious.

“What? No!” I practically spat. “Fuck you.”

“You do recall your promise, don’t you?” Sully grinned. “I can make a call and ensure Miss Lawrence loses her clothes. Wouldn’t you rather it be you who does it?”

I ground my teeth so hard I thought they were going to snap off.

“Please, don’t do this,” I whispered, trying to figure out what the hell I should do in that moment. “Whatever you’re planning, you can be better than this.”

“Remove her clothes, Mr. Wolfe,” Sully said evenly. “We’re paid by the job here, not the hour, so we have all the time in the world.”

“I-I won’t do it. She wouldn’t want that,” I said. “Please. Tell Everett I’ll do anything else—”

Sully stalked forward again and stood in front of me. Asylum hadn’t moved an inch and was staring intently at Sirena as his chest heaved. He was pissed. Or he was doing some of his freaky mind shit to her. I had no idea, but if he let go of his rage, I’d follow and help the crazy fucker gut these pricks.

We’d all die though. I knew we would if we moved. Maybe not today, but Everett would send men to find us, and we’d hang for it. And so would Church. Maybe even Ashes and Sin. I couldn’t do that to my family.

Fuck. FUCK.

“If I have to drug you again, Malachi, I will. Everett will know you weren’t willing and broke your promise to him. Regardless of what you think you want,thisis happening. Either remove her clothes or I will.”

I peered around the stark white room and saw a mirror I was sure was actually a window where we were being watched. Everett and whoever the fuck else who’d paid to watch this violation was probably standing behind it, jerking their tiny cocks.

“It’s an observation room,” Sully said, noticing me staring at the mirror. “We observe science and the depths of depravity to get answers. We watch the human mind and all the reactions that go with it. Remove Miss Lawrence’s clothes. Now.”

I didn’t want anyone in that fucking room or beyond to see my precious angel bared for twisted, sick men to see. But if I didn’t do it, they would. I’d be drugged and useless.

“Motherfucker,” Asylum snarled as I got to my feet.

I didn’t know if he was talking to me or Sully, but either way, we were both pieces of shit in this moment.

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